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So I just bought a new pair of half ropes and used them for the first time at Cathedral the other day. Every belay transition it seemed like when I flaked the ropes across my tie-in prior to bringing up the second, I finished with the orange rope and still had several meters of the blue rope left to flake. This screwed up my efforts at a neat orderly flake, and when my partner then led out, at some point that extra blue rope was reached in the flake and from there on the rope was not coming out simultaneously from the same flake Ė the orange was always pulling from a flake or two under the blue.

When I got home, I measured both ropes (rather primitively, as I didnít have a long tape, but trying to be as accurate as possible) and found the orange rope to be 60.3m and the blue rope 63.5m! More than a 10 foot difference! Yeah, itís nice to get a longer rope than you expect, but when two ropes are meant to be used together it causes problems.

My first thought was OK, Iíll pull and flake 3m of blue first, then flake both together and it should end up even. However, that creates a similar potential problem when Iím pulling the extra rope up as Iím now pulling from different layers down at my second, although at least its not complicating the leader belay.

Iím surprised at how different the two ropes are! While I did get the 60m I paid for with each rope, I guess I expected that ropes sold to be used as a pair would at least be pretty close in length.

Is it worth a call to the manufacturer? Or should I just trim the blue rope to match the orange and avoid the hassle?

while I don't see that it would be any problem to trim the ropes to be exactly the same, you may want to give the manufacturer a holler. wouldn't hurt. you are sure that they both are half ropes, right?

They're Sterling ropes. I called them today, basically they suggested that if I had access to a hot knife I trim them myself... The rep did say that he was surprised that a rope that long made it thru quality control.

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DLottmann

Donít trim them, a 10 foot diference is negligible. Have you ever owned/used half ropes before? It really doesnít matter if they are slightly off... pulling rope a loop or two ahead in a stack should not even be notice-able.... stop being OCD.

EDIT: know which one is longer for setting up raps, better to thread longer rope if it is a stretcher of a rap....

And be glad they are both longer than advertised, as ropes lose length over time (nylon degrades and ropes shorten naturally), so starting off a little longer is a plus...

Much adoo about nothing. remember which one is longer and pull up that extra slack at the changeover. then you use the longer rope in the winter for a rap rope when you solo steep ice. also use that longer rope for easier roped routes that you want to go ultra light on and just use a single half rope.

I agree with Dman the amount your ropes are off should be negligible in the way that they handle. Keep the extra rope you may be happy that it is there at some point. If you are really having trouble adapting to a few feet difference in rope lengths you may want to evaluate whether or not you want to climb at all as there is a lot of adapting to the enviroment involved in this sport. Not passing judgement on you because I know some people need things to be perfect or it takes them off their mental game and they can no longer enjoy themselves.

Yeah, i know it's not a real big deal - just expected ropes bought as a pair to be similar and was wondering if that much variation is common. My initial post just came out a bit long as I was trying to explain my question clearly.

I don't believe I ever said I was really having trouble adapting and certainly don't feel the need to reevaluate whether I want to climb at all? Sheesh, David_G48, lighten up on the psycho analysis, it was just a simple question...

Are the said ropes bi-color/bi-pattern?Bi-color/bi-pattern ropes are made a way that every rope ought to be very close to the advertised length. And given the premium one typically has to pay for "bi" ropes, they better be!I have learned that as long as it fits in the bag/pack and does not weigh a lot more, the longer the better! I can usually get another one or two more season out of an older rope after I chop the ends off. Of course, all the required precaution one should have about a shortened rope applies in this case.

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"You have to decide to do a flag, where you can broke your vertebrae or a barn door depending of your pro" - the poster formerly known as Champ

Obviously you don't get it. i have had several mismatched pairs of half ropes and there is no handeling issue. the extra rope is a bonus. if it was short i would be supremly pissed but getting 10 extra feet on one rope is a bonus. mark the middle of the long rope and use it for soloing ice. you coil the rope and backpack it when harder longer ice soloing so you get to rap and do annother lap or bail if the pillar cracks clean through. annother great use for that extra long half rope is to use it as a single lead line when you need to travel light and fast. when you use them as doubbles the extra 10ft is NOT a handeling issue.